January is National Scrapbook Month

I was so proud at myself for not spending so much money on food this month, until I realized I'm just using all that extra money to buy new scrapbooking supplies. Seems like every few days I find myself at Michael's, picking up something else. Thank goodness for those 40% off coupons that come every month!

This is the amazing item I picked up today. Deja Views chipboard letters in awesome colors (the picture doesn't do it justice), adhesive backings (so you can use the peel off backing as letters in another project), and there's over 200 pieces! Only $4.99, but I used my coupon on it and spent $3.22, or something like that. A-mazing.

Some exciting news: I submitted a layout to Creating Keepsakes, and I got an e-mail on Monday from one of the editors. They want to use it in the June issue! Hip hip hooray! I'll finally be published! It's not how I expected to get there, with my vast writing passions, but hey, what can you do?

Rainy Days and Dodgeball

Just a side thought, since it's raining a storm out there: When we were little,my brother and sister and I would sing that song, "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day..." and,well, you know the rest. But at the end of it, though, we would tack on a "Na, na, na, na fishsticks." Why? I have no explanation, other than that we were weird little kids. Anyway, just wanted to share that since it was stuck in my head tonight, fishsticks and all.

BREAKING NEWS: Michael and Jessica are having a kid! Yippee!

Other random thoughts: These kind of rainy nights make me want to stay up all night typing away at a mystery novel. However, since these are the only times I ever get a hankering to write a mystery novel, it seems unlikely to happen. (And there's no way I'm reading a mystery novel on a night like this.)

Anyway, so today we had a little team ball tournament for the youth venture kiddos, and ha! Our junior high team kicked butt! It was good afternoon fun for all.

Ahhh... look at them being all gangsta.

Powering up before the big game.

Ready, set, DODGE!

The sideline crew

And finally, John Shippam. He spent the game referee-ing. And by referee-ing I do mean rolling/throwing pennies across the court at us. Here, he is being gutsy by shooting his cell phone across the floor through ten jumping boys.

I'm back, beloved viewers, I'm back! And in color to boot!

After a long hiatus (most of 2007), I have returned to regale the world with my life. Hopefully there are still a few left in the audience. (Keener? Are you there?)


Just so we can feel like we didn't miss an entire year out of my life, here's a brief recap of 2007:

January:
Went to Disneyland
Had our first annual girls' night out, followed by the first annual Scrapbooking Mayhem day
One of my best friends, Jesse, got married
Had a Harry Potter movie night with the friends, complete with house scarves knitted by Sara Dillon

February:
Went to Disneyland
Celebrated Valentine's Day with Jenna and the boys (I think)
Was an extra on set for Veronica Mars, the best television show EVER

March:
Went to Disneyland twice
More Veronica Mars extra-ing

April:
Went to Disneyland with new friends who also extra'd
Went to spring banquet and spent most of the time with Jenna and Mandy taking pictures of ourselves and not socializing with our schoolmates

May:
Graduated college
(Went to Disneyland)

June:
Moved again (Rancho San Diego... I miss you!)
Went to Sarah and Adam's wedding
Did not go to Disneyland

July:
Went to the Del Mar fair with my work family
Was very excited about Harry Potter #5

August:
Turned 23
Went on a rad road trip to Colorado to visit Sara and Tyler, upping my states visited list to six
Went to Disneyland
Read Harry Potter #6 and #7 before anyone could spoil me
Discovered digital scrapbooking and seriously considered abandoning paper

September:
Apparently nothing excited happened in this month.
Oh, I went to Disneyland twice

October:
Firestorm 2007!
Christmas Announcement Party!
Halloween!
Went to Disneyland for the last time with my 2007 pass

November:
Had a fairly good Thanksgiving with my family. In fact, I think it was our best yet.
Went Black Friday shopping at 5a.m. and got everything I wanted
Went to Sea World with Sonia

December:
Was very cold
Got to see Triple Expresso with my extended work family at our Christmas shindig. And the principal from Veronica Mars was in it!

January 2008 (first twenty-two days)
Became wildly obsessed with paper scrapbooking again
Came up with a great idea for a Newbery award-winning children's novel
Got a haircut



Great, now that we're all caught up, here's what's happing now.
I just got back from Michael's where they are having an amazing sale. I'm talking paper for a quarter, 40% off stickers, the cutest rack of dollar stuff you've ever seen (think way beyond Target), and the cutest stackable boxes, of which I picked up three. Oh yes, it deserves an a-mazing.

When I got home from work tonight, both my roommate's cars were gone, and I fully expected to walk into an empy dark hourse. But despite all outside appearances, there were actually four friends inside (well, three and a half- one was Britt's little brother), having a rip-roaring good time. And I, someone who grew up where having friends over was rarely allowed, was able to fully appreciate just how great it is to come home and find four people there, dinner on the table, and a wrestling match going on in the living room. Thank God for the crazy people in my life. : )

And now, I'm off to organize my crafts in my aweseome new boxes!